People looking for teaching jobs in London and the south east could find there is a substantial difference in the salary they receive depending on the geographical location of the school they are offered a role in.

Gordon Smith, headteacher at Riddlesdown Collegiate and chair of the Croydon Secondary Headteachers group, has said a funding difference has led to many schools on the fringes of the capital becoming disadvantaged, with staff being offered up to £2,000 a year more in inner city areas.

He told the Croydon Guardian: "It has at times been difficult to attract the very best teachers to Croydon as it has been possible for teachers to earn greater salaries by working a few miles away in inner London.

"We have been able to counter this at Riddlesdown by always being prepared to pay more to get the best."

He added the relaxation of the rules on teachers' pay had given schools some more flexibility to attract top teaching talent, but many are still hampered by tight budgets.

Budgets may explain why Ofsted figures show that more secondary pupils in Croydon attend underachieving schools than anywhere else in the capital, with less than two-thirds of students in the borough studying at a good or outstanding school.

In terms of primary schools in London, only one borough in London had more pupils attending a school that was deemed to be inadequate or in need of improvement than Croyden, with 72 per cent of the area's youngsters enrolled at a good or outstanding school, compared to the national average of 78 per cent.

Mike Dawson, secretary of the Croydon branch of National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers and a science teacher at Edenham High School, said if funding was equal across all of London's boroughs then the standard in Croydon could improve. 

"I know some schools that are struggling to fill vacancies," he added.

Should funding be equal across London, or is there a need to prioritise? Let us know your thoughts on the issue.